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The pre-season preparation matches provided plenty of indications that Welsh young guns are making steady progress at the various clubs they are associated with. Involvement in first team friendly matches is a sign that management is sufficiently impressed with the qualities they possess for them to be tested at that level. There were a good number of these young men who were granted significant playing time during the past month or so and it will be interesting to see how many can seize upon the opportunity and develop into regular first team players. Over the coming months I will try and provide an assessment of the successes that will hopefully eventually benefit the national teams.

Cardiff City midfielder Joel Colwill (2004) made his debut for the club when introduced off the bench during a Carabao cup tie in the early days of last season.  He played in a later round game and eventually made his league debut with some minutes at the end of the season after previously being in the match day squad numerous times. He had a good amount of first team involvement as Cardiff prepared for their opening league game but a decision to allow him to join League Two side Cheltenham Town on a season long loan is probably what will be of greatest benefit for Joel at the present time. He has wasted no time in catching the attention at his temporary home.  A versatile player who can operate competently both defensively and in a more attacking role, he helped bring to an end a ten year trend, scoring the opening goal of the match and then adding a late winner as the first opening day win in a decade was secured. Repetition of similar feats will endear him even more with the fans, who will surely be already lauding his name. Joel was a member of the Wales U-21 squad last season and will certainly be selected again as the team continues their quest to qualify for the tournament finals next summer.

Swansea City’s management team also agreed to loan assignments as a means of enhancing first team experience for a couple of their youngsters. Midfielder Joel Cotterill (2004) is on a season long loan at Swindon Town. He gained some amount of League Two experience after spending time with Stockport County when he was loaned to them for the first half of last season. Although he did appear in twelve matches for them, his intention will, I am sure, be to amass much more time at that level, and he started by being on the field for the whole match as they began the season with an away draw last Friday. Attacking midfielder Cameron Congreve (2004) has been loaned to Bromley and he will hopefully help the club successfully negotiate their first ever season as a Football League member. As in Joel’s case, it will be beneficial to accumulate an extensive amount of playing minutes at League Two level. Having been continuously associated with the Swansea first team squad since his elevation a couple of months prior to the conclusion of the 2021/22 season, the quality of his skills is not in question. Effectively adapting to the game and team demands of the Championship tended to a big challenge and thereby restricted his opportunities to amass game time experience. This coming season will hopefully give him plenty of first team experience and help elevate his game to the next levels. Both Joel and Cameron have been members of the Wales U-21squad for the last couple of seasons and will be strong candidates to continue doing so in this one.

Since joining Sheffield United three seasons ago to become a scholar with them, midfielder Owen Hampson (2004) has made steady progress. Last season, his first as a member of the U-21 squad, he played in all but very few of the games competed by the team and was rewarded by having the opportunity to be in the first team squad during their pre-season training. He did well enough to be involved in the friendly games that were played, impressing in those circumstances and given his first team competitive debut as a starter in this week’s Carabao Cup tie. He acquitted himself well and remained on the field for most of the game, threading a nicely weighted pass that eventually led to the team’s second goal. Although it is likely that Owen will be predominantly playing U-21 football in the near term, his aim now will be for as much first team involvement as possible, building further on his considerable achievements thus far. Selected for Wales squads at U-16, U-18 and U-19 levels, the next target will be inclusion in the U-21 squad.

The new Wales manager has expressed confidence that the qualification successes achieved by the team in the recent past can be repeated under his tenure. I am optimistic that his assessment is correct, as well as agreeing with many respected opinions in the game endorsing his appointment. I believe the squad, when at full strength, has sufficient quality to be extremely competitive against the challenges that lie ahead. That assertion will not take long to be evaluated as some stern tests are scheduled in the coming weeks. Perhaps one facet that can be questioned is the strength in depth. I think that it is indisputably improved when compared to previous times but may not be as adept in providing sufficient replacement value as we had hoped would be the case. I think, however, we can remain positive in that respect, as there are quite a few young guns showing potential to become important contributors in the future.

             

[ photo embedded from FAW cymru ]